


Give Me One Good Reason

by TheAuthor44



Series: The ByeByeBye Collection [1]
Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Angry Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthor44/pseuds/TheAuthor44
Summary: What if Zoey hadn't run out the door after being confronted with Max's heart-song in 1x11.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Series: The ByeByeBye Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757470
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	Give Me One Good Reason

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to the angst queen herself - aubreyrichman  
> and the discord fam <3 
> 
> If it's not my best work, don't hold it against me lol I was working with a headache.

“ _Bye, bye, bye.”_ Max finished singing as he turned back around at the bar.

Zoey stared at him for a moment, completely horrified and not just by Leif’s drunken singing. She was pretty sure she was still in shock. Max’s heart-songs were usually so … _Max_ , heartfelt and endearing. This one was just bitter and full of animosity. Was this all because of what she’d said to him the day before? He was done with her, just because she let her anger get the best of her? Zoey thought she and Max were better friends than that, no matter where they stood at the moment. It was unsettling to think that her best friend was really ready to say goodbye.

“You wanna get out of here, I already paid the check.” Joan said, swallowing what was left in her glass before getting up from the table - her gaze never leaving the floor.

“Um… you can go. I need to talk to Max about something.” Zoey said. “Thank you for your advice though, and for being so open and honest with me.”

“I would say it was my pleasure, but it was excruciating. But for the right people it’s worth it, right?” Joan said, giving Zoey a goodbye nod before making her way out of the bar. Zoey followed behind her, but only until she got to where Max was sitting.

“Can we talk?” She asked, taking the empty bar stool next to him.

“I think you said enough yesterday. That seat is taken, by the way.” Max replied, never looking up from his drink.

That is until Leif came over.

“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the men’s room.” Leif tried to walk as casually as he could, but it quickly turned into a run.

“I almost feel sorry for him.” Zoey said, earning her nothing but a scoff from Max. “Is this how it’s going to be now? Max, you just sang ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’ to me. You’re really ready to throw away five years of friendship over a stupid work fight?”

That seemed to get his attention.

“Wow. You know what Zoey, interpret the song however you want to. That’s what you do anyway, right?” Max said, storming out of the bar.

A part of Zoey, the part she usually ended up listening to, told her to let him go. But another part of her remembered Joan’s words about excruciating things being worth it for the right people. No matter how mad they got at each other, Max would always be someone Zoey considered worth it. She quickly ran after him, catching Max as he stood outside ordering a ride on his phone. Zoey grabbed Max by the elbow and dragged him into the alley next to the bar.

Max tried to walk out of the alley, but Zoey blocked his every move. Eventually she had to put her hand on his chest to get him to stop. Trying to ignore the warmth that was coming through the fabric of his shirt, Zoey started them off.

“Okay, enough. I am sorry about what I said yesterday, I didn’t mean it. I was in a bad place because … I was just in a bad place. I was already angry at everything that I can’t control, and I took it out on you. But you have been passive-aggressive with me for weeks, ever since you got your promotion. I thought we talked about that.”

“Yeah you basically said you would be sad to see me go, but you were okay with it. As long as it was what I wanted, right?” Max said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes, and I meant it.”

“Oh that is such bullshit Zoey. You said what you thought I wanted to hear.”

“I did not. What? You wanted me to tell you to _not_ advance your career.”

“I would have at least liked something heartfelt from my best friend, and not some overripe sentiment.”

“Well what else did you want me to say!”

“I wanted you to fight for me! Tell me not to go. Or try to come up with a solution where I could still get promoted but _we_ stay together. I know you wouldn’t keep me from doing what I wanted, but it would have been nice to hear it anyway. But I should have known better. Me being off the fourth floor must work out great for you. That way you can be around Simon and not have to feel guilty every time you look over to the next desk. Face it, Zoey, as long as I’m not around you don’t have to deal with anything you don’t want to.” Max said suddenly being very honest.

“That is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said to me. Simon has nothing to do with this.”

“He has everything to do with this!”

“God – this is about the day I glitched isn’t it. Max, why can’t you just let it go.”

“Because you obviously have feelings for me, and you keep denying them or hiding them behind one lame excuse after the other. Or you send me away to another floor of the building entirely.”

“I … I don’t …”

“Yes, you do. I wasn’t sure at first but singing ‘I’m Yours’ to me pretty much confirmed it.”

“Yeah and you have been pressuring me to admit it ever since! You don’t think I maybe need some time to process that information.”

“Do you really think I would ever pressure you? I just wanted you to be honest with me.”

“But you did. You backed me into this corner with all your talk about attraction versus love…”

“Because it’s the truth!”

“Ever since I got this power, I don’t even know what the truth is anymore.”

“Oh please, if anything your power is the universes way of opening your eyes to the simple fact – it is not the world according to Zoey!”

“World according to Zoey?”

“Yeah you know the world where everything is how you want it to be and nothing is ever complicated …”

“My world was plenty complicated before this happened.”

“You are an emotional avoider Zoey, and you have been since the day we met. I accepted it because we were friends, but what kind of friend would I be if I just let you go on that way and have it wreck your life.”

“You weren’t doing it for any other reason that you have feelings for me and you wanted them reciprocated.”

“But they are reciprocated – and you keep denying it. Whether that’s because you prefer Simon, or because you really are scared to lose me, or whatever you’re telling yourself today.”

“I am horrible at relationships, of course I would be afraid to lose you, if we dated...”

“You can’t even give me one good reason huh? I’m done listening to this. If you can’t even be honest with me…” Max said as he turned and headed back towards the street.

Seeing Max actually walk away from her suddenly made Zoey more scared than any hypothetical breakup ever could.

“Hey!” Zoey screamed in a voice so raw, it caused Max to immediately stop and turn around. Before she even knew what she was doing, Zoey found herself marching up to Max, grabbing him by the jacket and crashing her lips onto his. Zoey waited for the awkwardness of the situation to kick in, but it never did. Max instantly started kissing her back … and it felt _good_.

It didn’t last however, as Max pulled away taking a step back from her.

“What was that?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” Zoey said after a pause. Max looked at her like a kicked puppy. “I saw you walking away and … I couldn’t …” she tried to explain, but had trouble finding the right words.

“I swear you are the most infuriating person…” Max started to say, causing Zoey to avert her gaze. He didn’t finish the thought, instead grabbing Zoey and kissing her again.

Both still steamed from the fight, it reflected in the kiss. Their make-out session was hot and heavy, with their hands wandering anywhere they could go with their clothes still on. At some point they ended up against one of the brick buildings of the alley, never breaking contact. Kissing Max was like breathing, and Zoey never wanted to come up for air. Eventually they had to though.

Once they broke apart they just stood there looking at each other, staying like that for a while before Max finally spoke.

“Guess you can’t say you don’t have feelings for me now.” His eyes didn’t match his words, but Max seemed determined to stand his ground. He turned and slowly made his way out of the alley, leaving Zoey behind.


End file.
